While a teenage brother and sister write a thank-you note to their grandmother after visiting her on vacation, we learn the five parts of a friendly letter and more about why and how to write one.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Coronet Instructional Films
Sponsor: N/A
Audio/Visual: Sd, C
Keywords: Social guidance: Etiquette; Communication: Writing; Communication: Postal

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

Individual Files

Write a review
Downloaded 5,812 times Reviews
Average Rating:

Reviewer: Sara Brown - - March 29, 2012
Subject: Writing Letters
This is an exceptionally informative article about writing letters ... Its worthy of being recommended and I will share this on Facebook for more students to benefit ...

writessay

Reviewer: thundakiss - - September 16, 2011
Subject: Sensible
This was very enlightening and made a whole lot of sense. Thanks for this.

Bed bath and beyond coupons

Reviewer: custom essay writing - - August 11, 2011
Subject: Good day!
Ability to write letters and is very much appreciated! Even if we want to write someone's E-mail, we must use a certain style and method of construction of the structure of writing. This is a kind of custom essay writing.

Reviewer: iss2 - - February 1, 2011
Subject: That's worth being remembered
Nowadays paper letters become more and more rare as a mean of communication. That's why this film is so important for everyone who doesn't want paper letters to be crowded out by e-mail, social networks etc, and such film helps paper writing to stay alive.

Reviewer: ERD - - November 20, 2005
Subject: Good instructional film
With computers and e mail, letters today have become shorter and need less formality. Still, it to is important to know how to write a letter. This film did a good instructional job, especially for the generation it was geared for. The actors were personable and came across well. The information is nicely dispersed in the script.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - October 22, 2005
Subject: ÂI hope you die soon WallyÂ
After some very odd classical music that is totally inappropriate for the movie, ÂWriting Better Social Letters cranks up the emotional intensity by presenting us with Nora, a girl who is stuck on writing a letter to her Aunt and Uncle for the lovely time they had over at the farm. Brother Wally helps her out by pointing out some actually great tips on writing such a thing. He pulls out different types of letters, from his formal invite to a ÂGeorge Washington Ball to letters he got when contracted pneumonia, to the inevetible invite to a Âlittle April FoolÂs party (was the invitation a joke?). After plenty of examples, she throws away the torn-out-paper-from-her-notebook letter she was writing and whips up a solid letter to her Aunt and (overalled of course) uncle to enjoy! I liked this film, as other reviewers have noted, this has a certain nostalgia about it, nowadays itÂs all about terse emails.. Highly reccomended!

Reviewer: Karma Hawk - - March 24, 2005
Subject: you know, I think writting this review is gonna be a lot of fun!
ok no not really, but this is an intresting take on the whole social guidance genre, this film features no narrator which is actually a plus as it conveys the information soley through the two characters dialouge between each other. I heard a lot of these films were thrown out once videotapes came along, as most teachers were embarassed by these films, I hope they weren't embarassed by this film this is really well done and could even still be used today. It loses points for not having any camp value to it though.

Reviewer: dynayellow - - September 9, 2003
Subject: This breaks my heart...
Ah, back in the days when people still sent letters.

Nora is furious that she can't seem to get her letter right. When brother Walter refuses to reveal his secrets, she threatens to turn violent. Walter, fresh from playing Stanley Kowalski, relents, but looking over her work, he's even more disgusted. Notebook paper? Ripped out? In pencil? Clearly, Nora needs help.

Lays out the basics of writing a social letter, whether a thank-you or just to keep up a friendship, and emphasizes that a letter should sound like your speaking voice, not some idea of what a "proper letter" is.

Bonus points: Walter is invited by the Community Drama Club to a Washington's Birthday Ball. Wild.

This made me long for a time when mailboxes contained more than bills and America Online CD's.

Shotlist

EXPLAINS FORMS & PURPOSES OF SOCIAL LETTERS, PRINCIPLES OF LETTER WRITING. TEENAGE BOY AND SISTER SIT AT DINING ROOM TABLE WRITING THANK YOU LETTER TO GRANDPARENTS FOR VACATION STAY (FLASHBACKS). LISTS 5 PARTS OF FRIENDLY LETTER.

Ken Smith sez: Nora can't find the inspiration to write a thank-you letter, so she asks for guidance from her bad-actor brother, Walter. He tells her about how well-written letters can make people happy (we see him laughing in bed with pneumonia) and this helps Nora straighten up and fly right. "You know, I think writing these letters is going to be a lot of fun!"

WRITING SOCIAL LETTERS TEENAGERS DINING ROOMS TABLES GRANDPARENTS VACATIONS FLASHBACKS COMMUNICATION CORRESPONDENCE GRANDCHILDREN Letter writing Etiquette Mail Letters Writing Manners Thank-you notes Notes Children Social guidance Behavior
<BR>